Program assessment practices in dental hygiene education.

A survey asked U.S. dental hygiene program directors to describe their assessment programs and satisfaction with these programs. A 65 percent response rate (138/212) resulted. The directors were less than satisfied with their assessment practices and how they use their assessment data. The majority use alumni (78 percent) and employer (61 percent) surveys and curriculum evaluations by students (57 percent). Fewer use patient satisfaction surveys (40 percent) and exit interviews (33 percent). Only 35 percent of the programs formally validate any instruments. They share the results with faculty (92 percent) but not students (42 percent) and alumni (25 percent). They use the data for curriculum revision (84 percent) but not for adding assessment measures (26 percent), remediation of students (25 percent), or gaining resources for the program (22 percent). Dental hygiene education needs a more comprehensive assessment model that is clearly linked to improvement.